Sunday Night Notes

How is he feeling? “I have a lot different feelings, but I keep them to myself or the team.”

Sometimes with Groh, you can read between the lines. When Groh was asked about how Vic Hall was feeling, Groh said Hall takes losses personally, so Hall and Groh are “kindred sprits.”

Here are some notes from the call:

- Groh said there were 14 plays out of 199 that cost the team the game. He said holding an opponent to 10 3-and-outs would not usually indicate a score such as Saturday’s, but the offense did not have a truly good drive.

- Groh said it is incorrect to say the team was not ready, because there were certain players who had their best individual performances to date. “It takes an awful lot to win a football game,” Groh said. “It takes very little to lose one.” He did not want to single out the players who played poorly because he said the Cavaliers need to stick together.

- For those wondering whether Marc Verica’s fumble could have been interpreted as an incomplete pass, Groh said it was “not even close.”

- On Hall’s muffed punt, Groh said Hall was at a spot on the field in which catching the punt was not a problem. The technique, though, “wasn’t very good.”

- On special teams, Groh was pleased with the field goal block unit. The kickoff returners were not provided much of an opportunity because of the squib kicks, but Groh was pleased with the field position. The punting unit left “a lot to be desired” and the kickoff coverage was fine.

- Redshirt freshman Steve Greer was the coaching staff’s pick as the defensive player of the game.

- Groh said Keith Payne left the team because he was not satisfied with his role. “We agreed he had to be in with both feet,” Groh said. “He can’t be in with one foot and out with the other.”